Reach This Fitness Goal: 50 Pushups

The No Pushup Plan

How many fitness goals have you set and failed to reach? If people fail or plateau on a goal such as performing 50 pushups, it is usually due to not having a well-thought out, periodized plan. We fixed that problem for you by creating this program. This time you will meet your goal.

Identify Your Weakness

There are different reasons you may not be able to perform 50 pushups, and different ways to fix these problems.

An overall low fitness level.

Work capacity has to improve to reach this goal.

Being overweight.

The goal should be to be as lean as possible to avoid pressing the extra weight.

An overall instability throughout the body.

• Shoulder instability. This limits your ability to efficiently transfer power during the press. To fix this, you need to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles (the teres minor, infraspinatus, supraspinatus and subscapularis) and the scapular stabilizers (serratus anterior, rhomboids, upper, middle, and lower trapezius).

• A lack of core stability. During a technically sound pushup, the body should move as a unit. The hips should be in line with the knees and shoulders; they shouldn't be perched up or dragging behind. If this is present during your pushups, do the pillar bridge series: prone, supine, and lateral.

What does the 50 push up goal really test?

Much like the 225-rep test performed at the combine, this test is a strength endurance test. However, you still need to focus heavily on your "maximal strength levels." You need to improve your overall one-repetition maximum on your bench and incline bench. The higher your one-rep max is on your bench, the lighter you bodyweight will feel when you perform a pushup.

Monday: The goal in the gym is to improve your maximum strength on your bench press, incline bench press, dumbbell fly, dumbbell front raise, dumbbell lateral raise, and dumbbell triceps extension. You should also choose an additional triceps exercise. Use a weight that allows you to do a rep each second -- this means you may use a lighter weight on week 2 than week 1.

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